Mill Creek Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

In the Northwest, some patients are receiving a novel prescription from their doctor: a walk in the park. Physicians in Seattle are weaving nature therapy into clinical practice. There's plenty of evidence to back this up for preventative health and to treat disease. Positive evidence exists for mood disorders, weight loss, heart disease, and dementia.

Journalist Richard Louv first raised awareness of "nature deficit disorder" among children diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and attention deficit (ADD). His landmark book, "Last Child in the Woods," outlines how children benefit from dire...